Reel Green Media started as a student project when Selman was at UC Berkeley. The company’s first movie project was Benjamin Bratt’s La Mission, which was filmed in San Francisco. Selman initially zeroed in on composting and recycling movie set waste. For example, the 80-person La Mission crew was going through as many as 500 disposable water bottles a day. Selman substituted water jugs. She then analyzed the energy used, including studying generators, transportation, hotel accommodations and caterers. In addition, she consulted on whether the products that appeared on screen were environmentally friendly and promoting a green lifestyle. In addition to movies, Reel Green Media now works on live events, such as the Golden Globes, the Emmys and the Oscars.

Selman also set out to reimagine beauty pageants, competing for the Miss Malibu title in a completely sustainable way with, for example, an all-organic dress and makeup. She won the pageant’s Miss Congeniality title and the People’s Choice Award and influenced the way other contestants approached sustainability.

Bill and Selman discuss how greening the entertainment industry requires re-thinking basic concepts. For example, it’s not always easy to quickly get things – such as compostable plates – to remote areas where movies often film. But studios are getting more on board with sustainable practices and both production structures and executives’ awareness is developing. That, Selman says, will have ripple effect to entertainment industry vendors.

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